1948 Ashes
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The Ashes, the legendary cricket series between England and Australia, began in 1877 with the first-ever Test match played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The rivalry quickly grew after England lost to Australia on home soil in 1882, prompting a satirical obituary in The Sporting Times declaring that “English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”
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The 1948 Ashes series was the first tour by Australia to England after the ravages of World War II. Starting on 10 June 1948, England and Australia played five Tests. Australia were led by Donald Bradman on his last tour and were strong favourites to retain the Ashes as the team contained a good balance.
The England team were led by the amateur Norman Yardley in the dying days of the divide with professionals. Although it had several notable players such as Len Hutton, Denis Compton and Alec Bedser, England were unable to match Australia. The final result was a 4–0 series win for Australia.
Two of the most remarkable feats were when Australia had a record 404-run chase on the final day of the Fourth Test at Leeds with Bradman and Morris smashing centuries. In a first class game, Australia scored a world record 721 runs in a single day against Essex.
The Australians were the first and only team to remain undefeated on an entire tour of England, earning them the label of "The Invincibles"; That’s 34 matches without a loss, with 25 wins and nine draws.
One of the most momentous incidents from Ashes history was Bradman’s second-ball duck as he was bowled by Eric Hollies in his final Test innings at the Oval which ensured his average was 99.94, just four runs short of a three-figure average.
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